Toy bombs



y 13, 1965 E. CALLEN 3,183,623

TOY BOMBS Filed May 13, 1963 i FL fl/ '7 fzzgfazze 4% 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,183,623 TOY BONES Eugene Callen, 1425 N. 1st Ave., Maywood, Ill. Filed May 13, 1963, Ser. No. 279,861 3 Claims. (Cl. 46-200) My invention relates to toy bombs which are exploded by dropping them on a hard surface, and more particularly to the bomb covered in Patent No. 2,616,219, issued to Harry Callen on November 4, 1952. The main object of the present invention is to so design the bomb that it may be made only of two parts for purposes of simplicity and economy of manufacture.

A further object is to design the bomb in a manner to be complete when the two parts are die-cast and require no extra securing devices or machine work in order to assemble the parts retentively.

Another object is to construct the parts with formations which facilitate their assembly in locking engagement.

A better understanding of the invention may be gained by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the improved toy bomb in the position of use and loaded with a firing cap;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the bomb adjusted to secure the firing cap in readiness for the dropping of the bomb;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are, respectively, enlarged sections on the lines 33 and 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a fragment of a firing cap sheet.

Specific reference to the drawing reveals the bomb as generally similar in appearance to the patented one. Thus, the improved bomb is formed with a tapered shank 1t which is developed in upward direction with a cluster of vanes 11.

In downward direction thick webs 13 project from op posite sides of the shank, such webs terminating with a circular base 14. Along each face of the web structure, the base has an abutment Me at one side, and a cam 14b rising from the abutment toward the other side to end with a dwell Me.

The hammer 16 of the bomb is formed with a hemispherical base 1.6a and in general respects similar to the one in the patent; and the bottom of the shank serves as the anvil for the hammer. Instead of having a cross-pin driven through it, as is the case in the patent, the hammer is cast on opposite sides with fiat studs 16!) which are rounded at the top and bottom as indicated at 160. The studs climb the cams 14b in the manner of the pin extremities 30 in the patent when the hammer is rotated from the position of FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2, this action securing the firing cap 18 between the hammer 16 and the shank as shown.

It is evident in the patented structure that the pin has the added function of retaining the hammer from dropping out of the base 26, and that the pin is not driven through the hammer until the latter has been inserted in the base. On the other hand, the improved structure makes it possible to insert the hammer and its studs 16!) to a point where these may be positioned to support the hammer in the same manner as the pins 30 in the patented structure.

The insertion just mentioned is made possible by casting the base 14 with vertical internal grooves 14d in the 3,183,623 Patented May 18, 1965 regions of the abutments 14a, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 5. The hammer may be turned until the studs 16b register with the grooves 14d and driven upwardly to pass them through the abutments. The hammer will then be free to turn briefly and cause the studs to ride off the abutments and fall into the bottoms of the cams 14]), as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5.

The hammer will now be free for turning from the position of FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2 for securing the firing cap, or in the reverse direction after the bomb has been dropped and exploded, for cleaning out the burned firing cap. Owing to its weight the tendency of the hammer will be to maintain its studs in the low position in front of the related abutments 14a, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 5, so that the studs will not be likely to mount the abutments and drop through the grooves 14d from the weight of the hammer. The metal of the bomb-preferably a Zinc alloyhas a slight factor of elasticity, so as to yield momentarily while the studs are driven through the grooves from below, so that these again become too tight for the free downward passage of the studs. The latter will therefore become trapped in the spaces above the cams and prevent the separation of the hammer from the base of the bomb.

It is now apparent that the expedient of the grooves 14d makes it possible to cast the hammer and the elements which retain it to the bomb base in one piece, eliminating the need of drilling the hammer and fitting it with a cross-pin as the components of the bomb are assembled. The fabrication of the latter is therefore made more economical. Also, the studs may be cast in rounded form, avoiding the sharp edges that may remain on a pin; and the grooves are concealed from view, preserving the neat appearance of the bomb.

I claim:

1. A toy bomb designed to detonate when dropped on a hard surface, comprising an upper member formed of a slightly yieldable material and made with a bottom recess defining a surrounding wall, opposite portions of the wall being formed with top cams inclined in opposite directions, said wall having a pair of vertical grooves at the lower ends of the cams and opening on said recess, a hammer for said member and insertible upwardly into said recess to receive a firing cap, and a pair of side studs carried by the hammer in positions to be alined with said grooves when the hammer is inserted as stated, the sides of the grooves yielding momentarily during the passage of the studs and returning to a normal spacing locking the studs against return passage through the grooves, and the rotation of the hammer with the studs toward the other ends of the cams serving to raise the hammer and clamp the firing cap to said member preparatory to dropping the bomb as stated.

2. A toy bomb designed to detonate when dropped on a hard surface, comprising an upper member formed of a slightly yieldable material and made with a bottom recess defining a surrounding wall, opposite portions of the wall being formed with top cams inclined in opposite directions, a pair of extensions rising from said portions at points adjacent to the lower ends of the earns, the extensions having vertical grooves opening on said recess, a hammer for said member insertible upwardly into said recess to receive a firing cap, a pair of side studs carried by the hammer in positions to be alined with said grooves when the hammer is inserted as stated, the sides of the grooves yielding momentarily during the passage of the ends of the cams serving to raise the hammer and clamp the firing cap to said member preparatory to dropping the bomb as stated.

3. The structure of claim 2, said extensions serving as stops for the studs at the lower ends of the cams.

600,772 3/98 Ettinger 46--200 2,503,360 4/50 Stephenson 46-200 2,616,219 7 11/52 Callen 46-200 2,651,142 9/53 Buxton 46'-200 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TOY BOMB DESIGNED TO DETONATE WHEN DROPPED ON A HARD SURFACE, COMPRISING AN UPPER MEMBER FORMED OF A SLIGHTLY YIELDABLE MATERIAL AND MADE WITH A BOTTOM RECESS DEFINING A SURROUNDING WALL, OPPOSITE PORTIONS OF THE WALL BEING FORMED WITHIN TOP CAMS INCLINED IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, SAID WALL HAVING A PAIR OF VERTICAL GROOVES AT THE LOWER ENDS OF THE CAMS AND OPENING ON SAID RECESS, A HAMMER FOR SAID MEMBER AND INSERTIBLE UPWARDLY INTO SAID RECESS TO RECEIVE A FIRING CAP, AND A PAIR OF SIDE STRUDS CARRIED BY THE HAMMER IN POSITIONS TO THE ALINED WITH SAID GROOVES WHEN THE HAMMER IS INSERTED AS STATED, THE SIDES OF THE GROOVES YIELDING MOMENTARILY DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE STUDS AND RETURNING TO A NORMAL SPACING LOCKING THE STUDS AGAINST RETURN PASSAGE THROUGH THE GROOVES, AND THE ROTATION OF THE HAMMER WITH THE STUDS TOWARD THE OTHER ENDS OF THE CAMS SERVING TO RAISE THE HAMMER AND CLAMP THE FIRING CAP TO SAID MEMBER PERPARATORY TO DROPPING THE BOMB AS STATED. 